Back protector



0. L. SPIESS BACK PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 9, 1934 1 frzderzZor' Clara/Z, Syn/less jitorney,

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 PATENT-,- OFFICE pac rno'rno'ron,

Clara L. Spies s, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application Janu y 9, 1934, Serial Nb. 705,339

g 6 Claims. (01. 24s

My invention relates to new and .useful improvements in a back protector. to be worn as 'a garment underneath any of the other garments of. the wearer, and hasfor one of its objects to provide an inexpensive device of this characterthat will be efiicient for .the purpose for which s'it' isintended.

'Another object ofthe invention isto so design and shape the back protector that it will readily pconformtothe contour of the wearers body, par- 'ticularly the backjinthe region of the; kidneys, 'andthe sides. J i Another object of this invention is to so'con- .struct the backprotector that it cannot stretch laterally. or become wrinkled while in use.

Another object of the presentinvention is, to

provide'the protector with stays which will assist in retaining itin proper position on a'wearor without the likelihood of the same becoming wrinkled. i Another object of myinvention .is to provide -means for ventilating the protector while in use, some of said means also functioning. to hold-the stay in place against longitudinal movements.

Another object of the invention is. .to .fashion theprotector so as to provide a-back portion, side fportions and a tail-piece; the latter adapted to "cover the buttocks of the wearer-and to furnish mean's for effectively securing the protector in Afurther object of the invention is toprovide a back protector which is sanitary because itis designed for use particularly-between garments -of-wearing apparel, because it is made from fabric which 'can'be washed 3 or; otherwise "cleansed, and because it is adequately ventilated. {A stillfurther object of the inventionis to pro- ;duce a back protector which willprotect certain parts of a wearers body from. theilljeffects of the elements and one that will not be habit form- With these and other ends in view, this invenft'ion.cons ists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth .andthen specificallydesignated by the claims.

- Inorder that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the, same; I .will describe its construc'tionin detail; referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing formingapart of this application, in which:-- j r i l is'an outsideview of the back protector made in accordancewith my invention.

Fig; 2 is an inside view thereof.

back portion 6 and side portions 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and i Fig. 4 is a perspective view, on'a reduced scale, illustrating the approximate positions of the parts when the protector is inuse. 5

In'carrying out my invention as herein embodied 5 represents the body of the back protector which is to be considered'as comprising a This body is made from'suitable material such, for example, 10 as flannel, mole cloth, cotton goods or any textile fabrics or combinations of any number of fabrics.

The body comprises a number of panels 8 extending from the top to the bottom edges and shaped so that said top and bottom edges are longer than the longitudinal center'line of the body and these panels are sewn together along their contiguous or meeting edges. This method of forming the foundation of the body provides for a considerable saving in material as the parts can be cut'from a largepiece of material with very little waste. On theoutside of: the body foundation, at each end, is located a reinforcing strip I l, preferably of the samematerial as the balance of the body, and

a similar reinforcing strip I2 is located on the outside of the panels crosswise thereof and in the longitudinal center of the body.

Other reinforcing strips I3, 14,15 and [6 are placed on the outside of the foundation to cover the meeting edges of adjacent panels or the seams produced by sewing the panels together and said strips are coextensive with said meeting edges or seams. V

The reinforcing strips [3; I4, l5 and I6 form pockets [1, one of which is plainly shown in Fig. 3, above and below the longitudinal center reinforcing strip l2. In each pocket is placed a bone, metal or other stay [8. It will be noted that the stays are above and below the longitudinal center l'of the protector and while they will prevent the formation of wrinkles in the protector they do not interfere with the free movements of the wearers body.

In order to ventilate the protector, I fix a plurality of eyelets [9 in the body so that they pass through the material and said eyelets'are preferably located at some of the thickest parts of the body, particularly in the regions of the reinforcing strips H, I3, [4, l5 and I6. The eyelets .project through said reinforcing strips as well as the foundation of the protector.

' The eyelets in the reinforcing strips l3, l4, l5 and I6 are located so that there is one just beyond, but in close proximity to, each end of a stay i8 and therefore besides functioning as Ventilating means also act as retainers to hold the stays inplace in the pockets.

Securing straps 29 are attached to the body and by preference there are two of such straps at each end of the body and companion straps are to be adjustabley connected by tying them together or by the use of suitable fastenings 2!. These fastenings may be any well known devices, such as belt buckles, clasps, hooks and eyes and snap fasteners, the latter being shown for purposes of illustration. Where the fastenings are of the type consisting of companion elements, one element of each is carried by one strap and the other element of each is carried by the coasting strap as shown. By mounting a number of the elements on each strap adjustments are provided for as will be obvious.

The securing straps 20 are to be produced from non-elastic or elastic material 'or'a combination of such materials.

The top and bottom edges of the body are to be finished with a binding 22 of the same material as the balance of the body or it may be some other material and can be in the form of tape or otherwise. Y

Depending from the lower edge of the body intermediate the ends thereof is a tail-piece 23 which is approximately the same width as the a back portion 3 of the protector body or the back panel. Said tail-piece may be an integral part. of the back portion of the protector or of said back panel although I have found that by making the same as a separate section, the goods can be cut to better advantage for the elimination of waste to thereby reduce the cost of manufacture.

When the tail-pieceis produced as a separate section, it is sewn to the'lower edge of the body and the binding 22 extends around the outer edge thereof; A reinforcing strip 24 is disposed on the outside of the protector over the meeting edges of the body and tail-piece. The several parts of the article are sewn together as shown by stitches 25.

While the protector can be placed next to the person of the wearer it is particularlyada'pted to be worn between garments of ordinary wearing apparel, as betweenan outer shirt andthe -ves't or coat of male attire.-

In putting on'the protector 'itiis placed across the back with the back portion of said protector in the regionof the we'arers kidneys. The side portions are then drawn against the sides of-the wearer and the securing straps fastened together in proper adjustment in front of the wearers body.

'By' using this -back protector the portions of the wearers body covered byit will be adequately protected from cold and wind, and therefore such device is particularlyadapted'for'use byperson's that have to remain outside for "long periods of time, such as oiiicersof the law, motormen, operators of difierent "types of vehicles, salesmen, agents and the like. o

I When the tail-piece is used it-wi ll cover the'buttocks orthat part of the persons bodybelow the middle of the: back. 'As' the article is only protection against cold andpenetrating winds it is not habit'forming and can be discarded whenever desired or whenever it-is not required.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown-and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:--

1. A back protector comprising a body including a plurality of sectional panels secured together along their meeting edges, a reinforcing strip extending along the longitudinal center of the body, other reinforcing strips covering one side of the meeting edges of the panels and projecting above and below the first mentioned reinforcing strip, each of said second mentioned reinforcing strips providing pockets both above and below the said first mentioned reinforcing strip, stays in said pockets, eyelets projecting through the body within the boundaries of the second named reinforcing strips to ventilate the protector, said eyelets being positioned beyond the ends of the stays to also function as retainers for said stays, additional reinforcing strips at ing a number of panels sewn together and so i shaped thatlthe upper and lower edges of said body are longer than the longitudinal center thereof whereby the protector will conform to the body of a wearer, each panel consisting of a pair .of similar sections sewn .together, a rein.-

forcing strip extending along the longitudinal center of the body and covering one side of the seams produced by sewing the panel section .to one another, other reinforcing strips extending along the meeting edges of the panels coextensive therewith and covering 'the'seam's produced by sewing said panels together, said second men- 'ti'onedistrips providing pockets above and below the longitudinal reinforcing strip, stays in said pockets, additional reinforcing strips extending along the endsof the body, eyelets projecting "through the body within the boundaries of the second :andt-hird mentioned reinforcing strips .'for ventilating the protector and the eyelets in the second mentioned reinforcing strips being zpositioned beyond the ends of the stays to ,re- 'tain the latter in their pockets, a tail-piece at.- tached'to the lower edge-of the body intermediate 'theends of said body and depending therefrom, a reinforcing strip extending along the meeting edges-of the body-and tail-piece, a binding-extendingalong the upper and loweriedges of the body and about theouter edgeof the tail-piece,

securing straps fixed to the ends of the body, and

means .for fastening companion straps together in any selected adjustment.

4. In a device of the kind described, a body,,re- 'in'forcing strips extending across said body from the top to the bottom edge thereof, another reinforcing strip extending along the longitudinal center of the body, eyelets projecting through the body within the boundaries of said first named reinforcing strips for ventilation purposes and defining limits of pockets in said first named reinforcing strips above and below the longitudinal reinforcing ,strip, and stays in sai pockets. 5. A. backprotector comprising a body including a number of panelssewn together and;so

shaped that theupper andlower edges of said body are longer than the longitudinal center thereof whereby the protector will conform to the body of a wearer, each panel consisting of a. pair of similar sections sewn together, a reinforcing strip extending along the longitudinal center of the body and covering one side of the seams produced by sewing the panel sections to one another, other reinforcing strips extending along the meeting edges of the panels coextensive therewith and covering the seams produced by sewing said panels together, said-second mentioned strips providing pockets above and below 6. The structure in claim 5, in combination with a tail-piece attached to the lower edge of the body intermediate its ends and depending therefrom, and a reinforcing strip extending along the meeting edges of said body and tailpiece.

CLARA L. SPIESS. 

